Posts Tagged ‘review’

Yes, this is a review of a bin, but the Titan trash compactor is no ordinary rubbish bin; It features a patented, hygienic compaction system that allows it to hold up to 3 times more waste inside than any other bin of the same size. Because it enables you to compact your waste, it means that it doesn’t need to be emptied as often, saving you money on bin liners. Also, If you are one of those unfortunate enough to have been cut down to alternate week bin collection then it means that you don’t fill up your outside bin as quickly. (more…)

It may seem strange to be talking about Christmas so early, but it is always good to be prepared I think! Last week, on one of the hottest days of the year, I took a trip to London to attend Iceland’s Christmas in July event at the swanky One Belgravia. It was a chance to take a peek at their upcoming Christmas range and to feast on an abundance of delectable festive goodies. (more…)

It is no secret that I love to cook; I mean, I run a food blog for goodness sake! But even the most passionate of cooks have days where they really don’t want to have to cook, or just don’t have time to; and on those kinds of days I am happy to turn to something pre-made for a quick and easy meal. My most common go-to’s are pizza, tortelloni, or, my favourite, a Higgidy pie or quiche with salad. (more…)

Clementines are really cheap in the shops at the moment so I ended up buying two and a half kilograms of them; I’ve been eating several of them a day but wanted to make something to use a few of them up. I really enjoy preserving, particularly when it is cold and dark outside; there is something comforting about the process and winter just makes me want to hole up at home and stockpile homemade foods so I chose to make marmalade with them. The wonderful smell of it simmering away on the stove will also make your house smell like an orange grove, which is enough to brighten up even the most miserable and wet of days. (more…)

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited along to a blogger Christmas party hosted by HomeSense, who sell the most gorgeous and eclectic homeware. It was hosted in The Lost and Found cocktail bar in Birmingham (my home town), in “The Bar Behind The Bookcase” – a lovely little private bar and function room hidden away behind, you guessed it, a bookcase. The event was a chance for Homesense to show off a few key pieces from their fantastic Christmas range, and for the bloggers to mingle and get to know each other a bit better. (more…)

The last few days I have achieved precisely nothing. The reason for this is three months old, loud, and prone to waking at 4am; aka my niece. I was babysitting for a couple of days and despite my best intentions to get some work done while she was here I failed miserably; if anyone can share the secret to taking care of a baby and dog whilst also working and doing the cooking and cleaning AND somehow managing to fit in some time to sleep please do share! The whole experience left me in need of something sweet, but fitting in baking and photography as well would have been a step too far! Unfortunately I made (and ate) these s’mores eclairs a couple of days before babysitting, so there were none left by the time I needed one! (more…)

When I was given the opportunity to review Bake In Black, the new music inspired cookbook by Eve O’Sullivan, the well-known food writer, and David O’ Sullivan, I jumped at the chance; I had heard quite a lot about the book already (it was reviewed in Metal Hammer after all) and I was intrigued. The premise of the book is to take the title of a song or album from the world of rock and heavy metal and bake something inspired by it, resulting in recipes such as “God Save The Cream” angel cake (Sex Pistols), “Sweet Tooth O’ Mine” honey, molasses and maple cake (Guns N’ Roses), “Them Buns” white chocolate, apricot and orange swirl buns (Alice In Chains) and “Killer Queen Of Puddings” (Queen). There are a lot of recipes packed into Bake In Black, all of them delicious looking; the photos are all inspired by the band the bake is based on, making the book visually interesting as well as humorous. (more…)

When I was sent an OXOGood Grips non stick frying pan (£50 from Lakeland) to review I knew exactly what to make in it to test it – pancakes! they are one of the best (and tastiest) ways to test just how non stick a pan is, if you can flip a pancake cleanly then it’s a goodun. The Good Grips frying pan was perfect for pancakes – I only had to use the teeniest smidge of butter to cook them in and they didn’t stick at all. It felt very solidly made, with the kind of non-stick coating that isn’t just going to flake off after a couple of uses (I’ve bought some very cheap and crappy cookware in the past…always a false economy) and I was impressed by the addition of a silicone handle in place of the usual plastic which means that the pans are oven-proof up to 200°C, a bonus for me as I didn’t actually own a single frying pan that could go in the oven… And if you are lucky enough to own a dishwasher, it is dishwasher safe and suitable for use on induction hobs. (more…)

This post is part of Nielsen-Massey and Baking Mad’sEaster baking campaign, where they asked baking bloggers to try one of their twenty four delicious vanilla based recipes. They asked me if I would like to take part and I jumped at the chance as I love Nielsen-Massey vanilla so was very happy to be sent some for free! (more…)